Fabric



Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED'D STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to textile fabrics and methods of making the same. While the invention may be of general application to textile fabrics, it is particularly of advantage in a rayon fabric.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel ribbed textile fabric and method of making thesame, with special reference to a rayon fabric.

It is Well known that rayon fabrics are most desirable when wholly and uniformly lusterless, and this invention is intended to provide a fabric of this character. Since rayon yarns are relatively translucent, the production of a suitable ribbed rayon fabric has not been known heretofore.

It is an accepted fact that the composition yarns, such as those of which rayon is made, are produced free of twist, and that to provide a twist in such yarns increases the cost of the fabric to an extent dependent upon the degree of twist provided in the yarn. With this factor in mind, this invention aims to provide an improved ribbed inexpensive fabric.

'I'hen again, while fabrics having pronounced ribs resulting in rough or irregular surfaces for the fabric are well known, it is nevertheless accepted that a. fabric having a substantially smooth surface affords the maximum wear, and

is relatively easiest to keep clean in course of normal use.

It is therefore an object of the invention toprovide an improved ribbed, uniformly dull fabric, the ribs being so slight as to permit the fabric to have a substantially continuously smooth surface throughout; and, further that said fabric shall be inexpensive, and adapted to be made by standard machinery and in a very simple and cheap manner.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists inthe vnovel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments; pointed out in the `subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by 50 the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a considerably magnified plan view of a section of a textile fabric, embodying the 55 invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a invention. Fig. 3 is a plan viewof a section of a textile fabric, embodying the invention and showing the normal appearance thereof.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole..

`It will be obvious to those skllled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, Ill denotes a section of a textile fabric embodying the invention. The same may be constructed of a suitl able, preferably regular weave, and is desirably of uniform color throughout. Further, the fabric I0 is characterized by `a ribbed appearance as shown at II, whereby the attractiveness land hence the value of the fabric are enhanced.A The ribbed effect may be made to extend either across the warp or across the weft, as may be desired, but the former is preferable.

According to the invention, the fabric III, as shown in Fig. 1, may have a weft including uniformly spaced weft yarns I2 which are desirably- -of the same weight and color throughout. The warp may include uniformly spaced alternately consecutive warp yarns I3 and I4 which are desirably of one color. It will be seen, however, that the yarns I3 and I4 are of different weight, and are more closely spaced than the filling yarns. Thus the ribs II are caused to extend transversely of the warp as shown in Fig. 3. In the case of a rayon fabric, all of the yarns I2, I3 and Il may be lusterless, and if the difference in weight of the yarns I3, 'I4 is substantial, a'distinct mechanical ribbed effect is produced, which is rendered extremely close and highly attractive 'by reason. of the fact that the yarns I3, I4 follow each other in single succession. It will be noted that thefyarns Il may have a weightdouble or triple that of the yarn I3, while the latter may desirably be of the same or approximately the same weight as the weft yarns I2. As all the yarns I2, I3 and I4 consist preferably of the same material, a very neat fabric III is obtained, in which the ribs are in such close proximity to each other as to affordsl practically smooth surface fabric I0. Since the'ribs II are each provided by a single yarn I4, uniformity is assured modification of the smoothness and thickness of the fabric.

It may be noted that by this invention, individual or single ply yarns can be used-throughout, instead of the more expensive multi ply yarns.

it is an object herein to reduce the amount of twist required in the yarns of my fabric. As the heavier yarns are less translucent than the lighter yarns, the ribbed effect is further accentuated.

I have found, however, that it is preferable and less expensive to construct the fabric I0 with a lesser difference in weight between the yarns I3 and I4, for two reasons. In the rst place, the comparative smoothness of the fabric surface may be further increased, and in the second place, changes in length due to shrinkage and the like as between yarns I3 and I4 are re. duced. Thus the fabric I0 may be maintained relatively smooth without requiring special treatment of the yarns I3 and I4 to produce an even shrinkage. This I accomplish by utilizing warp yarns such that the yarn I4 is less than twice the weight of the yarns I3, and preferably not more than twenty to sixty percent heavier than the latter, it being understood that if the relatively smallest available difference in the weight of the yarns is utilized, the tension on the yarns may be equal for weaving the fabric on a single beam. However, this result tends to cause the ribbed appearance to disappear. A second cause which -tends toward disappearance ofthe ribbed effect is especially due to composition orrayon yarns, which are largely translucent..

To overcome these drawbacks, I utilize yarns I4 which have twist, and thus optically supplement the eifect of the relatively small difference in weight between the yarns I3, I4, to render the ribbed appearance sufficiently distinctive. lIf a high or tight twist were required, the rayon fabric would become so expensive as to counterbalance its advantages, and would acquire undesirable crinkly effects, However, I have found that a comparatively slight twist of say ten to twenty-five turns per inch is sufficient and may be termed moderate, and since the yarns I4 are only a little more than one-fourth or one-third the weight of the fabric I0, the increase in cost of the fabric is relatively small. The foregoing principles are also applicable to other textiles, such as cotton fabrics, but as noted, the advantages are most clear in a composition of rayon fabric.

The size of the yarns is more important when A' referring to thev twisted yarns I4, because twisting tends to increase the size of these yarns.

Nevertheless the translucency of the yarns I4 is g reduced by twisting, and both the size and translucency of the yarn I4, in conjunction with the twist'l thereof, are important factors in produc; ing the ribbed effect in the fabric I0. By the term textile fabric is meant a fabric such as a taffeta, or the like, adapted to be made into garments.

In Fig. 2 is shown a modification of the invention, including a fabric I5 substantially similar to the fabric I Il in appearance, and differing therefrom in construction solely in that the warp yarns I'I corresponding to yarns I3 are twisted, while the yarns I'I corresponding to the yarns I4 are not twisted, but straight or plain. The ratio of weightsmay be the same as hereinbefore described, and the yarns I6 may have the The'latter necessarily require a relatively high twist to produce a workable thread, and

l aovzeee in appearance in softness and in the relative same but preferably a considerably greater twist than the yarns I4. While the fabric I5 will not afford as distinct a rib as the fabric II), it is nevertheless shown as apossible construction within the scope of the invention.

It will be understood that while the fabric provided by my invention preferably consists of unicolored or shaded yarns, it is not limited thereto, as alternatelyl consecutive warp yarns may additionally be of different shade. DAn important element of the fabric lies, however, in the fact that it is of one color. Likewise certain yarns .may be of a different material than otheryarns. Thetwist of the alternate warp yarns may be in the same or in opposite directions as desired; and further, the invention includes the principle of a textile fabric having warp yarns of the "same or substantially the same weight where the singly successive yarns are arranged plain and twisted as shown in Fig. 1. However, where warp yarns of different weights are used, it is contemplated that the ratio of weights shall in general be such as to produce a relatively smooth surface fabric. If the plain yarns such as I3 are produced by such a process, as naturally to possess a ver-y slight twist, say between two and a half to five times per inch, the yarns I3 and I4 may be laid so that the twist is in opposite directions; but such yarns can be regarded as plain for most practical purposes. to warp yarns such as I3 and I4 arranged in consecutive alternation, the principle of the fabric II) can be employed to produce certain desirable though much less pronounced attractive effects as where the yarns I3, I4 are laid in an alternate two and two arrangement, and with the same weave as shown. Finally, it will be noted that different features herein pointed out may be combined and arranged in various other ways to produce other fabrics. A

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made inthe device as shown in the drawing, and that the same is submitted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense, the scope ofthe invention being dened in the following claims.

I claim:

Although reference has been made herein 1. A taifeta-like rayon fabric having a warp Y and weft interwoven in a regular order and arrangement throughout the fabric, said yarns being lusterless and all of -one color, the warp consisting of relatively light and heavy yarns arranged in consecutive alternation, one of the series of light and heavy yarns consisting of twisted yarns, the weft consisting of relatively light yarns, and there being more warp 'than weft yarns per inch, as set forth..

2. A textile fabric for garments, having a regularly interwoven warp and weft and the warp yarns being more closely spaced than the weft yarns, said warp consisting of a series of relatively light and heavy yarn elements, the light and heavy elements being arranged in alternation, and

- one of ,said series of light and. heavy elements yarns of different weights such that the heavy yarns are from 20 to 100 percent greater in weight than the lighter yarns of the warp, the said lighter yarns and the weft yarns being of approximately the same weight, the light and heavy warp yarns -being arranged in single consecutive alternation, the heavy warp yarns having a twist of between 10 and 20 turns per lineal inch, as set forth.

5. A rayon textile fabric having a warp and a weft, the warp yarns being more closely spaced thanthe lling yarns, the warp including plain and moderately twisted yarns arranged in single succession, the twisted yarns being at least twenty percent heavier than the plain warp yarns to such a degree that the fabric has nevertheless a substantially smooth surface. v

6. A rayon textile fabric of the character described including an interwoven warp and weft, the yarns of the warp being more closely spaced than those of the weft, the warp yarns including yarns of different weights such that the heavy yarns are approximately twenty percent greater in weight than the lighter yarns of the warp, the light and heavy yarns being disposed in alternation, and one of the series of light and heavy yarns having a relatively moderate twist.

ALFRED L. HELWITH. 

